Inside the Braves with MLB.com's Mark Bowman

Updates regarding McLouth and Lipka

Before getting this afternoon’s series finale against the D-backs started, here are a few updates from the clubhouse and the Draft.

Nate McLouth said he still had a pretty painful headache this morning. The Braves will test him later today to determine whether he suffered a concussion when he hit his head after colliding with Jason Heyward during last night’s eighth inning.

Heyward appeared to suffer a bruised right shin when he clipped McLouth and caused him to flip over and land hard on the outfield grass. Before taking the field for batting practice this morning, the 20-year-old right fielder was wearing a bandage on his right shin.

Matt Lipka has agreed to an $800,000 signing bonus and will report to the Braves Spring Training complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Monday. Lipka, an athletic shortstop out of suburban Dallas’ McKinney High School, was the first player (35th overall selection) taken by the Braves in this year’s Draft.

The Braves have also signed their seventh-round selection Matt Suschak. The right-handed pitcher out of the University of Toledo will report to the club’s Rookie Level club in Danville on Monday.

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Maybe this was a blessing on McLouths part…Let him get healthy again, and send him down to the minors to rehab and work out the mental kinks. Hope it works out for him. We need his pop and speed down the stretch.

When asked to comment on concussions,”Recently, people have been very cautious with head injuries, especially in the [National Football League],” McLouth said. “I guess we’ll find out. WTF, does this guy think he playing cornerback?

Billreef, I think Nate was just talking about how the NFL has really been researching concussions lately. There’s no doubt that they can really kill a career (see Ryan Church). I agree with Brandon that this could be a blessing in disguise for Nate. Maybe he can take some time to learn how to swing a bat again.

Wow why can’t this team hit with bases loaded? I think it said in 88 plate apperances with bases loaded the team has struck out 28 of them. This is a must win game today, in order to pull a winning record in this road trip.

I agree with Brandon. Even though Nate is having a horrible time at the plate right now we are going to need him for the stretch run because he DOES have pop in that bat and speed in the OF; before the collision he made some good catches we’re use to seeing him make. He just needs to cut down on his K’s because they are a concern.

Maybe the minors will help him because it helped Chris Young of Arizona whom was batting McLouth like last year (.178).

Even though he was struggling I hated to see him get hurt, but at least it’s not serious. Sometimes defensive gems make up for bad offensive play, which was mainly why AJ was put in there on a consistent basis despite struggling his last two years at the plate here.

Im not a big fan of Nate for many reasons right now but what really upsets me is there has been a few times that he simply hasn’t used his arm on plays at the plate. Why he doesn’t throw to attempt an outfield assist is mindboggling.

I think Nate made the football reference because he effectively got clipped by a middle linebacker. I hope he is ok, but also think it’ll be good for him to get some AAA rehab at-bats. Glad to see the boys win today’s game. Go Braves!!!

so Mclouth isnt on any disabled list yet if the braves are smart they should bc head injuries are nothing to mess with. Now if they do place him on the 15 or 60 day who will they call up from the minors?

Does anyone think Chipper’s career batting average will play into his decision on when to retire? Since he is the only switch hitter with 300 homers and a .300 average, if he continues to struggle and his career average continues to fall would he call it quits before he no longer has that distinction?

What will it take to resign Glaus? 3 years at 6 million per? Maybe more money, wouldn’t want to go any longer than 3 years and would perfer 2 years? He could be Chipper’s replacement and hopefully have Freddie Freeman at first if he is ready.

Resop threw a one hit complete game last night for Gwinnett. 105 pitches. He is really doing an outstanding job. We’ll know this week what all of this good work is going to net the Braves.
Resop is not on the 40 man, and Schafer is the only OF guy in the minors that is, but I really don’t think they want to bring him up and down. I’d guess if McLouth goes tot he DL you will see Infante in the OF mix and Brandon Hicks called back up.

Also, there is ZERO chance Chipper lets his lifetime BA go below .300. Heck, he sat out against all of the tough pitchers down the stretch to win the batting title in 2008. He is a HOF player that is very aware of his current place in history. I wouldn’t let my average slip either, because it would mean I played a couple years too many and didn’t contribute. Chipper will not suffer through multiple years of this .230-.250 stuff.
All he is doing now is feeling for the ball. He isn’t driving anything. Even the HR last week was flipped into the stands. He has some room at .306. If he bats 300 more times and hits .250 the rest of the year, he will still be just a smidge under .304. That would probably be enough to call it a career.

KK has gone 6 or more innings in 8 of 12 starts.
KK has given up 3 or fewer earned runs in 8 of 12 starts.
KK has gone 6 scoreless innings twice.
KK has a 3.31 ERA in his last 6 starts.
The Braves are 3-3 in KK’s last 6 starts.
The Braves are 3-1 in KK’s no decisions.
None of that screams 0-8. KK is 0-8.
For a fifth starter, almost every team in the league would take these numbers. Well, all but the 0-8 part.

Why not use Hicks as a back up OF too the kid is an athlete and maybe he can use this movitation to make it in the bigs.
I mean the Braves brought up Francouer and Mccann from AA and look what happen so why cant the Braves do that bring someone that can produce in AA maybe that person can produce in the Majors.

ohh yea i saw that the braves are sending feelers out there for andy trade propsals for Resop but i think the braves should make a deal for someone anyone Cliff Lee Roy Owsalt send him to the Yankees or Mets for Feranado Tatis or Astros along with Jose Oretagano JoJo Reyes Matt Young and Jordan Schafer for Oswalt and Michael Bourne

U know if Mclouth goes down on the DL why not try Mitch Jones? I mean everytime i read this blog over the offseason everyone was on the guys a** saying how could he can be in the majors giving the chance well why not now i mean he cant do much worse then Melky or Mclouth

I know this is crazy and very ncbravesfan82ish, but could you just IMAGINE if somehow we landed Cliff Lee? A dominant lefty in our rotation…I’m not saying we have any chance, I was just imagining…Gosh, I wonder in Seattle would be interested in a Kenshin Kawakami/some of KK’s salary next year/Chris Resop/Gregor Blanco/mid level prospect trade… ;)

Oh, and did anyone else notice how Wren left a bit off on the opening day payroll? It’s like he expected to make a big move this summer.

Melky has 8 hits in his last 4 starts….he appears to be heating up a little bit, so its not really fair to say Melky is doing bad. Also, Escobar and McCann appear to be coming around. This should benefit us very well. If we get Chipper going, and Hinske gets going again we will have a VERY potent offense. Lastly, you know Prado is for real when he gets his hitting streak broken, and the next day goes 3 for 4. Is it possible this guy gets better every year???

These interleague matchups with the DH in place against an opposing left hander tells me that we really miss Matty Diaz bat in the lineup. Not sure if I like McCann in the DH but I guess you can’t keep his bat out of the lineup the way he has started to heat up recently. Love to see us go 2 out of 3 in the series to finish a winning and tough road trip.

That money we gained by trading Vazquez was not all spent on signing Glaus (by a longshot), so hopefully we invest it at the trade deadline this year and add another arm or infield power bat. Still would like to see KK go back to pen over Medlen when Jurrjens returns from DL in two to three weeks. Glaus is having a great year, but is not the long term solution (plus who knows if he stays healthy the remainder of the year given his history). I would love to see the Braves get in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes if possible, though I would gladly take Oswalt or Lee at the deadline.

I dont see us going after Fielder bc someone from Espn said to trade for Fielder would take a Mark Texiera deal to get it done and i dont see it happening unless we add KK in the mix to dump salary and i dont see the Brewers taking him on or maybe who knows but i am glad to see that i am kinda rubbing off on some pple.’ Here it what i think the Brewers would be willing to take for fielder

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